UGM gives scholarships to poor

YOGYAKARTA: The rector of Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Sofian Effendy, announced on Tuesday that the university would provide scholarships for 221 students from poor families.

The scholarships are part of the university's efforts to maintain its ties with the community and to provide access for poor students, Sofian said.

The university official in charge of scholarships, Bambang Kartika, said students in certain programs would receive Rp 1.5 million scholarships, while the others would be given Rp 1 million scholarships. The scholarships are good for one year, but students can apply for an extension.

"But the scholarship recipients will not receive cash. Instead, the money will go to the university as tuition payments," Kartika said.

He said the money for the scholarships came from the university's Alumni Association and other groups.

Only new students whose parents earn less than Rp 1 million per month qualify for the scholarship, which is called Beasiswa Peduli (Care Scholarship). -- JP